


A Brilliant Plan

by catiegeekgirl



Category: Toshokan Sensou | Library War
Genre: Dojo is an awkward babe, F/M, Fluff and Humor, I don't know what I'm doing, Marriage Proposal, Shibasaki is nosy, Tezuka and Kamaki are useless, This fandom needs some love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-09 01:36:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16440578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catiegeekgirl/pseuds/catiegeekgirl
Summary: Dojo and Iku have been dating for a while now, and Dojo decides that it's about time he sucks it up and asks Iku to marry him. Thing is, he's not really sure how to go about it, so he recruits some help, and, naturally, nothing goes as planned.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Dojo sat in front of Komaki, head bent and hands on his knees. The four beers he had just downed didn’t help his courage nearly as much as he had hoped they would. 

“Dojo, are you ok? You look ready for battle.” He isn’t entirely wrong, thought Dojo, taking deep breaths to strengthen his will just a bit. Since when had he become such a coward? He could feel heat slowly rising in his face under the gaze of his best friend, anticipating the torture that Komaki would unleash upon him once he finally explained what this was all about. Dojo made an attempt to swallow the lump in his throat and finally looked up. With his face in full light, Komaki couldn’t help but notice the light pink shade creeping up Dojo’s face, and his worried expression turned into a sly grin. There was only one thing that made Dojo blush like that, and it wasn’t the alcohol.

“What did she do this time?” Dojo glared, as if that could distract from his darkening cheeks. 

“She hasn’t done anything. Or at least, she hasn’t done anything that she doesn’t normally do.” Dojo paused for a moment, then leaned over, grabbed a fifth beer, popped it open, and took a large swig. A small crease appeared between Komaki’s eyebrows, his worry returning. 

“Is… is everything alright? Between you two?”

“What? Of course it is! We’re great. We’re really great. We’re…” Dojo trailed off, apparently not entirely sure what else they were. He gave another sigh, then looked straight at Komaki with the kind of intensity he saved only for the most important situations. “I’m… going to propose.” 

The declaration hung in the air for a moment, both men feeling the weight of the words as they slowly sunk in. Then, Komaki’s face broke into the brightest smile since Marie’s graduation. “It’s about time!” Komaki raised his beer. “A toast! Although,” he glanced at the empty cans stacked at Dojo’s feet, “maybe I should get you a water.” He went into the kitchen, returned with a bottle of water, and tossed it to Dojo who, even in his tipsy state, still caught it deftly. “To Dojo and Kasahara! Although I guess she’ll be a Dojo soon, too, huh?”

“Shh! Don’t shout so loud! Someone might hear!” Komaki gave a lazy wave of his hand as if to say, yeah, yeah, taking a large gulp from his own beer. After a satisfied smack of his lips, he looked back at Dojo. “So, you gonna ask me to be your best man?”

“No.” Komaki raised his eyebrows. “I mean yes, but that’s not what I came here for.”

“Oh?” said Komaki, taking another sip of his beer. “Do tell.”

Dojo looked bashful again, his hands back on his knees, gripping the material of his pants. “Well… I don’t really know how to do it.”

“Do what?”

“You know…” Komaki looked at his flushed friend. He was hardly ever like this. After a second, Komaki raised his eyebrows and gave a small nod. “Well, you see, usually you start with foreplay, which can be-”

Dojo chucked a pillow, hitting Komaki square in the face. “Not that, you idiot! I meant proposing!” Komaki picked up his beer before the pillow could knock it over, and was about to reply when there was a small knock at the door. The two men looked at each other before Dojo stood up to answer it. Standing in the doorway was a slightly ashen-faced Tezuka. “Hi, sir. I just thought I’d drop by for a drink.”

Dojo stepped back to let him in. Tezuka stepped into the small room, his eyes never leaving Dojo. With a small smirk, Komaki spoke. “And you were scolding me for being loud. It looks like your little protege heard your yelling.”

“Don’t call him that! Tezuka is no one’s protege. He is a fine shoulder unto himself.” Komaki chuckled at Dojo’s slip. Tezuka would have been deeply touched if Dojo’s slurred words hadn’t drawn attention to the collection of beer cans on the apartment floor. “Sir, how many beers have you already had?”

“That’s not the kind of question you ask a commanding officer.”

“Alright, sir, but I won’t be the one explaining to Kasahara why you have such a bad hangover tomorrow morning.” Dojo stared at Tezuka for a second, then sat back down on the floor in a huff to finish his bottle of water. Tezuka took a seat with his back against the bed, accepting the beer Komaki handed to him. They were all silent for a while, each man sipping his own drink, casually wondering who would break the silence. Finally, it was Komaki that spoke up. 

“So, you need our help.” There was a small pause before Dojo responded.

“Yeah. Iku has this weird obsession with proposal stories. For someone who tends to avoid romance novels, she’s really into this gooey stuff. So I need this to be really special, but I have no idea what to do.”

“Well it’s simple, isn’t it?” asked Komaki, draining the last bit of beer from his can and reaching for another one. “You find a copy of that book she likes. That fairy tale one, right? You get a copy of that. Then, you put the ring in the book. Real romantic. And then you ride in on your white horse and in your prince uniform, holding the book that started it all,” Dojo threw another pillow at Komaki, which he dodged, “and you hand her the book from the horse, cause if you got down on one knee, the height difference-”

“Are you trying to die?!”

“The height difference would be a little too comical for me to stand, and then she opens the book and she gasps in delight, and the two of you go riding out of the library into the sunset.”

There was a short silence, Komaki still stuck in his story, Dojo trying not to fume, and Tezuka stuck in the middle, trying to decide if he should be amused or horrified at the prospect of his hero behaving in such a foolish way. 

“Yeah, I’m not doing that.”


	2. Chapter 2

The three men met up several times over the next couple of weeks, all putting their heads together to think of a plan to sweep the loveable oaf off of her feet. Between the beer and their collective lack of romantic knowledge, (or in Komaki’s case, lack of not-way-too-intense romantic knowledge), they were still completely clueless by the end of a fortnight.

“What is it that brought on this urgency in the first place?” Tezuka asked, clearly exhausted with the topic after two weeks of nearly nothing else.

“That’s a good point, actually,” Komaki piped in. “Not that this hasn’t been a long time coming, but what finally kicked your butt into gear?”

Dojo brought his hand to his face, thinking. He knew exactly what it was, but he wasn’t really sure how to word it. “Well…” he started finally, “I was walking Iku home from work because she said she had something to show me, and she lead me up into the wooded area behind the library, and of course I’m wondering where in the world she’s taking me, but we just keep going until we get to this clearing on the edge of a little cliff. I guess I didn’t realize how high up the library was, or at least how high up we had climbed, but it felt like you could see the whole city from there. But it was only a partial clearing, so there’s still this semi-circle of trees around us, and way out behind the city, there’s this perfect view of the sunset. She said she found the place way back when she was preparing for her first promotional exam and that she would come back every now and then just to think… She said that she could tell there was something “magical” about the place, about how nature and the city and the sky and the earth were all in perfect balance just in this one spot, and she wanted to share it with me.”

There was a pause. “Uh, sir, I still don’t get it.” Dojo looked at Tezuka with a sigh, his hands fiddling in front of him as if he could feel his thoughts but couldn’t say them. “She kept talking, saying how she felt so safe and peaceful here, like time had stopped and everything was right with the world, and I’m standing there, half listening, but mostly I’m just looking at her, at the way the sunset lit up her face and at how her eyes seemed to just take in everything, and at how she was so…” He stopped, a light blush warming his face. He cleared his throat before speaking again. “Anyway, as I was standing there looking at her and listening to her talk about this secret she had shared with me, I realized that… I understood exactly what she meant, because I felt the same way when I was with her. And then she looked back at me and she was looking at me like she had been looking at the city and the sky and… I guess I just knew.”

The room fell silent. Tezuka and Komaki both stared at Dojo, Tezuka with a blank face and Komaki with glittering eyes, as Dojo looked determinedly down at his feet, the heat rising higher into his cheeks. “Stop looking at me! You asked so I told you!”

“Dojo…” Komaki started, speaking to him as if her were a puppy.

“That’s it, I’m turning on my show.” There was another pause as Dojo searched for his detective drama on Komaki’s TV. 

“It kinda makes sense when you think about it, doesn’t it?” Dojo raised an eyebrow at his friend. “That she would like that kind of place. She grew up running around in the woods and the mountains and stuff, right?”

“Yeah. Her brothers would take her a lot of the time. Even with how long as she’s lived here, I think there will always be a little part of her that misses having that so close.” Komaki and Tezuka both hummed their agreement as Dojo finally found his show. Komaki was still thinking about a young, adventurous Iku when another thought crossed his mind. “Wait a minute,” he said, raising a finger, “have you asked her parents?” 

Dojo froze, his hand half way between his mouth and the bag of bite-sized salami he’d just opened. “Uh…” Komaki and Tezuka stared at him. “What! I can’t exactly ask over the phone and it’s not like we’ve had an abundance of time off. Plus Iku would be really suspicious if I just took off for her hometown one day. Besides,” he seemed to be trying to convince himself, becoming slightly breathless, “her dad loves me and her mom would just be ecstatic that she’s getting married. So what’s the big deal?”

… 

Iku and Dojo were left alone in the office, stuck doing late work for the upteenth time. It was really only Dojo’s responsibility, but over the last four years, Iku had become much more competent when it came to paperwork and Dojo had long since given up on denying her help.

Iku had worked especially hard on getting her work done that night. She was hoping to convince Dojo to go get dinner with her. She finished a solid half an hour faster than usual and turned in her chair, feeling very satisfied with herself, only to see Dojo… working. Still. It wasn’t so much that there were still papers on his desk that bugged Iku, but that he seemed to be working much slower than his usual pace. Dojo wasn’t like her. He could get through these detail-oriented tasks pretty efficiently, but tonight he seemed to be dragging his feet. “Um… Dojo?” She had long since dropped the “Instructor” but she still couldn’t bring herself to use his given name. At least, not at work.

Dojo flinched at his desk, the sound of his name snapping him out of his reverie. “Yes?”

“... Are you almost done?” Dojo looked over at his stack, then at the clock. He didn’t realize how slow he had been going.

“Not quite. Genda really laid it on me today.”

“Oh. I was hoping we could go get dinner, but I guess…” Dojo could hear the disappointment in Iku’s voice and his face softened. He felt guilty for daddling just to postpone the talk he had all planned out. He looked back at the stack with a sigh. 

“Just give me twenty - no, fifteen more minutes, and then we can go. Ok?” And exactly fifteen minutes later, the two were walking out the library doors, both their hands tucked into Dojo’s coat pocket. Dojo lead Iku to the little French place by the station. It was expensive, but it was close and both of them were starving. Fortunately, they were seated immediately and were soon snacking on fresh French bread and perusing the menu. It wasn’t until they were nearly done with dinner, though, that Dojo finally brought up the topic that had been monopolizing his thoughts since the night before. “You know we have a three day weekend coming up.”

“Yup!” Iku took another bite of her chicken. “Why, did you have an idea?”

“We should go see your parents.” This was so far outside of what Iku was expecting that she nearly dropped her food in her lap. Carefully putting her fork safely back on her plate, Iku looked up at Dojo.

“My parents?” He nodded. “Um… may I ask why, exactly?” Dojo gave a small shrug, maybe trying a little too hard to act nonchalant. 

“Well, I haven’t really met them officially as your boyfriend, and you haven’t seen them since they dropped by for that event… three years ago now?” Iku gave a small nod. “Right. And you only had time for lunch anyway. I just thought it would be nice to pay them a visit for once.” He casually took a sip of his water. Iku sat there for a minute. Even after all these years, the prospect of seeing her parents, her mother especially, made her just a little queasy, but everything Dojo had said was true, and she had gotten a letter from her dad not too long ago asking when they would get to see her again. Finally, with a small smile, Iku said, “Ok, sounds like fun!”

The two left the restaurant hand in hand, Iku still grumbling at Dojo’s refusal to let her pay. They had agreed to both go back to Dojo’s as Iku still shared a room with Shibazaki and neither of them really felt like leaving the other just yet. As they walked through the still night, Dojo couldn’t decide if he was ecstatic or petrified that his girlfriend had agreed so easily to introducing him to her parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, enough with the boys, have some Iku. I had a lot of fun thinking about how their relationship would be after this long but before they're married. I figured they would both still be the shy little babes they are, but together. And Dojo is always stoic when he's shy. Anyway, Shibasaki finally comes in the next chapter, so look forward to that. It should be out by next Sunday, although it's the last prewritten chapter I have so after that I have no promises of a schedule. Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

Iku woke up very gradually, the warmth of her dream bleeding into reality, both so gentle and safe. She kept her eyes closed for a bit, simply enjoying the feel of Dojo’s chest against her cheek, his strong arms wrapped protectively around her. She took a deep breath, his scent making her smile. She loved waking up in his bed. She wished that it could be an everyday thing, but as Iku still lived in the library dorms, both she and Dojo had agreed that she should take advantage of the cheaper housing while she still could. 

Iku finally cracked open an eyelid, then another, looking up into Dojo’s sleeping face. So rarely was it that he looked this calm, although he had begun to loosen up in recent years. He smiled more often and was more patient with his subordinates, and there was this air about him as if he had finally released the tension in his shoulders. Iku liked to think that she was part of the cause.

Moving slowly so as not to wake him, Iku lifted her hand from Dojo’s chest to touch the light scar on his shoulder. This was only one of four bullet wounds on Dojo’s body, although this one had healed remarkably well. There was another near his left hip and two more on his right leg. Komaki had once told her that Dojo had taken more bullets than anyone else in their year. One of those scars, the one in the center of his right thigh, had been taken in order to protect her. The soft white flesh made her think about the things the man she loved had been through, but it also made her wonder about how many scars she herself would have if it weren’t for Dojo.

Iku’s soft petting slowly brought Dojo back into his lightening room, the skin on his shoulders suddenly registering the cold morning air. He lowered his face into Iku’s soft hair and took a breath. It was so much nicer waking up when she was here. 

“Good morning,” Iku whispered, tucking her head underneath Dojo’s chin. His rough voice answered “Morning.” They laid there for a little longer, enjoying the warmth of the other, before Dojo shifted his arm off of Iku so he could rub his face. “What time is it?”

Iku smiled at the sleepiness in his voice before peering over his shoulder to look at the clock. With a small sigh she answered, “Almost time to get up.” Dojo let out a small groan which made Iku chuckle before whispering, “I said almost,” and snuggling back into his chest for the last five minutes before the alarm would force them to get a move on.

… 

Shibazaki was all smiles when Iku entered their shared apartment that night. The latter had been spending more and more nights away from their shared library apartment and her best friend could not be happier about it. In Shibizaki’s eyes, no one deserved the world as much as Iku did, and she knew that Dojo would be the one to give it to her. The suggestive gaze caught Iku’s attention. “What?” she asked warily, placing her bag on one of the kitchen chairs. 

“Not spending the night in the love nest tonight?”

“I told you to stop calling it that. And no, he has an early morning tomorrow.” Iku tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice, but to no avail. Shibazaki stood up and walked over to her friend. 

“You can’t tell me to stop calling it what it is. I know what you two get up to over there.”

Iku’s face flamed. “Oh yeah? Don’t think I haven’t noticed your absences too! How’s Tezuka?” 

Shibazaki cocked her hip and turned her chin up at the taller girl. “We just go drinking sometimes, that’s all.”

“Drinking until morning?” There was a definite smirk playing across the tall girl’s face.

“He always drinks too much. I’m just being a good friend by making sure he doesn’t kill himself in the middle of the night.” Iku’s raised eyebrow showed that she clearly didn’t believe her. With a huff and a cross of her arms, Shibazaki whipped around to face away from her giddy friend, smacking her with her long hair. She nonchalantly addressed over her shoulder,“Weren’t we talking about you and your dear Atsushi?” That wiped the look off her face, making Shibazaki giggle. She gently grabbed her friends arm and led her to the couch. “Come on. It’s been a long day. I want some gooey love gossip.”

The two squashed themselves onto their little loveseat and talked. They talked about Dojo and work, and Iku tried to talk about Tezuka with little success. At one point, they got themselves some wine glasses, (Iku’s being full of grape juice so she wouldn’t feel left out), and started talking about nothing in particular, both giggling and poking at each other, trying not to spill their drinks. Their many years living together had broken down any barriers that may have ever been there, and two hours later, they found themselves unmoved from the couch, Shibazaki starting on her third glass of wine.

“So are you and Dojo doing anything… fun… over the break?” Shibazaki wiggled her eyebrows at Iku who just rolled her eyes.

“Actually, we’re going to visit my parents.” That caught her friend’s attention. A visit to the folks, huh? He was moving faster than she had expected. She had only been able to squeeze the story out of Tezuka the week before, and already Dojo was running off to ask for her hand. What a gentleman.

“His idea, I presume.”

“How did you know?”

Shibazaki took another sip of her wine. “You would never volunteer to go see your parents unless you absolutely had to. Plus, he hasn’t met them officially as your boyfriend yet, so it’s only polite, really.” 

“Yeah, that’s what he said too. I guess I didn’t realize how long it’s been. Should be nice to see everyone.”

Her friend smiled, glad that Iku was so trusting of those around her. She would never be able to put the pieces together herself. However, it seemed like Shibazaki had some work to do now that things were really moving. She’d have to track down the man the next day and give him an earful. This was going to be fun.

… 

Shibazaki didn’t manage to corner Dojo the next day until after lunch. He had finished eating quickly and was headed back towards the offices. Now was her chance.

“I've been informed that you're planning to take my girl away over the break.” She flashed her knowing smile at the scowling man, falling in stride next to him. “Planning anything in particular while you're visiting the folks?” 

Dojo glared. Everyone knew that nothing got by Shibazaki, and considering the subject he really shouldn't be surprised by the suggestive look in her eye, but he wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of admitting anything. “No, not really.”

“No important talks? No questions about… the future? Maybe?”

Dojo looked back at Shibazaki, her eyebrow raised as a smirk pulled at her lips. “No. Not. Really.” 

“Oh please. Tezuka spilled the beans forever ago. In his defense, he was pretty drunk. I was only giving you the chance to let me know of your own volition.” Dojo sighed. “Honestly, I'm just hurt that you went to those two before you came to her best friend.” 

Dojo stopped walking and turned to face the smirking woman. “What do you want from me, Shibazaki?”

“What else? I want to help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, all of the main players have been introduced. I honestly really love the relationship between Iku and Shibasaki and I've read a lot of fics where that's really played down or where Iku is secretly really jealous of Shibasaki, so I wanted to write something that showed more of their close relationship. Now if only she and Tezuka could stop playing games... Not sure when the next chapter will be out cause I don't have anything written past this yet, just a hazy idea, but I'll be done with finals in a week so I should have some more free time. We'll see. Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Yay! Chapter one down! I've actually had this written for a while but I kinda stopped writing it, so I'm hoping that having it on here will force me to keep on keeping on. This is my first work on here, (actually my first fic ever, but DAMMIT THERE WERE NO FULL LIBRARY WAR FICS AND I COULDN'T TAKE THAT SITTING DOWN.) So I hope this will provide some much needed Iku/Dojo love. Leave comments if you liked it! Or don't. I'm not gonna know. Should have the next chapter out soon.


End file.
